


matchmakers.pup

by xundaeism



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Pre-Relationship, dog dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xundaeism/pseuds/xundaeism
Summary: Today I offer you Vivi and Toben playing matchmakers. Tomorrow, who knows?
Relationships: Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 15
Kudos: 80
Collections: CASE–94: Round One





	matchmakers.pup

**Author's Note:**

> This piece was written for the first round of CASE–94 a Fest for Oh Sehun.
> 
> (unbetaed, please, forgive me!)

A couple of years ago, when Chanyeol told his friends he would move _ to _ Seoul, they expected him to live in a grimmy micro-apartment with a view to some weird bar’s dumpster. However, Chanyeol didn’t tell them he would move  _ to _ a quite insignificant district  _ in _ Seoul and his house would not be small,  _ and  _ he would have a fantastic view.

Maybe, not as fantastic as the one he has when he takes Toben to the park, but that's another story.

Being a gangly gay vet in a small community is challenging. Especially if you download Grindr and find out every gay, bisexual or bi-curious man in Ganbuk-gu is looking for a discreet night of fun and games, no more and no less. It gets worse once you see them somewhere on the street and they look at you as if it was a sin to wish for a real long lasting relationship instead of a one night stand.

That’s why, after wasting his energy on Grindr –and twenty more apps–, Chanyeol gives up. He would rather spend more time with the precious black poodle he rescued from a bad home some weeks ago. 

Little Tobennie had brought so much joy to Chanyeol since the day he arrived at the clinic; always hopping, running and barking at insects. It was enraging to find out such a lovely being was mistreated by its owners. So, Chanyeol took matters into his own hands. He called Animal Protection Services and with the help of Yixing, his boss, he managed to revoke the ownership from Toben’s holder. He adopted the pup only days later.

"Tobennie, we're going!" Chanyeol shouts and shakes the small golden bell hanging beside the door.

Toben has a small hearing problem, due to the mistreatment, and is a bit fluttery and distracted, that's why Yixing recommended to set an 'alarm tone' to get his attention. It's nothing serious but, before the bell, Chanyeol had to call Toben's name thrice or more times. Now, Toben answers right away.

"Good boy," he says once Toben hurries his little legs to Chanyeol's direction, making his dark fur bounce up and down. "You need a haircut, pal."

Toben seems to understand, because he sits and quietly fixes the long curls covering his eyes with his paws.

-

There are times when Chanyeol wishes he could stop time and stare. Those times are when:

  1. Toben naps on his legs
  2. Cute Dog Dad walks his big cloud



A couple of days after deciding he was done with men and he would remain single for the rest of his life, Cute Dog Dad made his first appearance at the local dog park. Chanyeol thought the man was a product of his deprived gay imagination but, it turns out, the man is very real. Otherwise, some of the regulars –mostly women– wouldn’t have changed their schedule to match Cute Dog Dag’s schedule.

Of course, Chanyeol doesn’t know his name but he knows his big white cloud is named Vivi, and Vivi is the quietest puppy he has ever encountered. That’s why, when Toben rushes towards Vivi the Big Cloud, it takes half a second for Chanyeol to feel the air being knocked out of his lungs.

“Toben!” He calls. “Come back here!”

Chanyeol forgets to ring the bell, his brain too agitated and his heart too troubled to think straight.

Oh no.

He did not plan his first conversation with Cute Dog Dad to be about Toben chasing his gorgeous big cloud. To be honest, Chanyeol never planned to have a conversation with him. Ever.

Too risky.

Also, why would he make a fool of himself in front of a possible-model? Nope! But again, Toben had his own agenda.

Before he realizes, he’s right in front of Cute Dog Dad and Chanyeol’s entire face grows pink.

Holy sh-

“Hi.” Chanyeol gulps. “Sorry. I-I’m sorry,” he pants. He must have ran too fast. “Toben just wanted to play.”

Cute Dog Dad’s eyebrows look terribly sharp from such a short distance. Will he murder Chanyeol with them? The answer is: yes.

“It’s okay.” Cute Dog Dad giggles, and his eyebrows don’t kill Chanyeol, instead, they rise as the corners of his mouth lift in a tiny smile.

Okay, Chanyeol is too gay and that man is too out of his league. He must go.

“I-I’ll take him somewhere else, don’t worry,” he says and he starts approaching the two puppies bolting from one spot to another. 

“Why?” Cute Dog Dad inquires, his voice taking the softest turn and making Chanyeol nearly melt on the spot. “I mean, they… they’re having fun.”

Chanyeol isn’t sure but, he could swear, Cute Dog Dad blushed a little. So, he stops on his tracks and takes a look at the man and then at the puppies; they’re surely having fun. Surprisingly, too. 

Chanyeol sighs. “So… you don’t mind?”

Cute Dog Dad immediately shakes his head and beams.

“If Vivi’s fine, I’m fine,” he replies.

Chanyeol nods. It will be okay, right?

He won’t say or do anything embarrassing, he will behave.

Cute Dog Dad hasn’t even told him his name, it’s obvious he doesn’t want Chanyeol to know because this is a one time thing. A one night stand, puppy playdate version

Chanyeol’s gay self must not worry. At all.

“I’m Sehun,” Cute Dog Dad says.

Chanyeol short-circuits. “Did I ask?” He exclaims.

Fuck.

“No, wait,” Chanyeol coughs, “I’m Chanyeol.” He could feel his cheeks blush in distress. What a moron. Someone give him the Idiot Award, please, he deserves it the most. “I-I was thinking of something else,” he stutters. “Sorry.”

Right after the apology, Sehun the Cute Dog Dad bangs Chanyeol’s weak heart with a giggle.

Chanyeol’s face pales. It will not be okay.

Chanyeol will not behave.

“Don’t worry,” Sehun says. Knowing his name feels so weird in Chanyeol’s chest. “Nice to meet you.”

Chanyeol does not trust himself to articulate a coherent word, hence, he only nods.

-

Toben and Vivi get tired after a while of running, running and running non-stop. Now they’re chewing on some of Toben’s toys that Chanyeol brings every time, but Toben never really uses because he’s too busy trying to break the puppy speed record or something.

“You’re sorta new here, right?” Chanyeol asks after long minutes of standing there, doing nothing, just thinking. Thinking a lot. And taking pictures of the pups.

“Ah, yeah.” Sehun hums and points with his eyes at a bench next to where their boys are playing. “The park we used to go to is being remodeled,” he says, “but I think Vivi likes it here.”

Maybe this is a dream, Chanyeol ponders. The way Sehun’s dark curly strands of hair poke out of his head with the breeze, without looking sloppy, is unreal, like taken out of a high-end magazine.

“It’s a nice park,” Chanyeol says. “A pretty view, too.” It slips from his mouth.

Chanyeol, please, stop talking challenge: Failed.

He decides to pretend he didn’t mean anything by that, because it is a coherent thing to say about a park, he’s freaking out only because Sehun’s smart gaze makes him feel like an open book –a children’s book–. 

“Yeah, it is,” Sehun murmurs as he gazes at Chanyeol warmly, but Chanyeol doesn’t notice. “Hey, you want some candy?”

Chanyeol turns his head to Sehun, and then to the backpack Sehun’s waving in front of him. Said backpack is filled with candy. Filled.

“That’s a lot of candy.” All Chanyeol can say as he takes a white lollipop to match his silver hair.

“Yeah,” Sehun chuckles, “the perks of working at a candy-shop.”

“What? You’re not a model?” Sehun the Cute Dog Dad is not a model?... Blasphemy!

“A model?” Sehun frowns.

Oh, Chanyeol. 

“I- I mean...” He scratches his chin and looks the other way, “you look like one.”

When will Chanyeol learn how to shut up?

Luckily, Sehun doesn’t seem to mind the observation and rather takes it as a compliment. “Thanks, but no, I’m not a model. I’m the manager of a candy-shop.”

“I knew, yeah. It was a joke,” Chanyeol huffs. “Not that you don’t look like a model. You do. Really.”

“Well, I guess I model sometimes.” Sehun tilts his head to the side. “My boss takes pictures of me and the candies to post on Insta.”

“There, see? You’re totally a model.” Chanyeol takes the wrapper off the lollipop and puts it in his mouth. “Wow, it’s good. Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.” Sehun gives him a half smile. “Gotta add it to my resume, the modeling thing. Right?”

Chanyeol laughs it off but he seriously thinks Sehun is missing a big opportunity. Some models don’t have what Sehun has. The man is perfect from every angle, even when he has two balls in his mouth.

Hold on.

That sounds wrong.

Two  _ candy  _ balls, Sehun has two candy balls in his mouth.

“I think you’d make a good model, too,” Sehun says, abruptly shoving every dirty thought Chanyeol had in mind. “I’m telling my boss to hire you.”

“So the shop will have a good-looking model and a below-average model? I’m in, I guess.” Chanyeol shrugs.

“Nonsense,” Sehun huffs. “You got really nice eyes and your lips resemble the texture of soft gummy bears.”

And now Chanyeol’s face is red. Not pink. Red.

“And your cheeks look great with that blush on.”

Blush.

“Wh-what blush?” Chanyeol asks.

“Aren’t you wearing blush?” Sehun lifts his eyebrows. “It looks pretty.”

“Ah.” Chanyeol’s flustered heart won’t let him speak. “I- I’m not… not really.”

Sehun brows furrow a little and he rubs his thumb over Chanyeol’s cheek; when no tint comes off he pouts and shrugs his shoulders. Chanyeol’s heart races in the meantime. 

"You know…” Chanyeol clears his throat as he tries to find another topic to switch the conversation, he cannot remain dumbstruck the entire time. Then, his eyes fall on Toben and he finds it. “Toben’s full name is Beethoven," Chanyeol mutters, hiding his apparently permanent blushing cheeks by lowering his head. Nobody knows Tobennie’s full name, except for Yixing and Chanyeol, and now Sehun the Cute Dog Dad.

"How interesting,” Sehun hums, “Vivi's full name is Vivildi."

Chanyeol's eyes open wide and before speaking he gasps. "Really?"

Could it be that Chanyeol found his other half? A gorgeous boy that named his fluffy pup as a famous musical composer? He can picture it now. Them. It's so clear. Chanyeol and Sehun the Cute Dog Dad, living in a big house together: they will adopt two more pups, and name them Chop for Chopin and Mozi for Mozart. Maybe one more named Kovi for Tchaikovs–

"No." Sehun says. Titters. Punches Chanyeol in the gut, metaphorically speaking.

"You didn't–?" Chanyeol asks, his voice going two octaves higher.

"No, he's just Vivi." Sehun smiles at him. "But for what it's worth, I think the Toben/Beethoven nickname is pretty smart."

Okay, so maybe there's  _ some _ hope. Chanyeol is picking up the shattered pieces and putting them back together.

He gets lost thinking of what to say next, because Sehun the Cute Dog Dad thinks Chanyeol's a smart dude now, he must keep the illusion going, but before he can think of anything Sehun is already talking to him again.

"Vivi really likes Tobennie." Sehun's adoring gaze gets fixated on the two contrasting pets having fun. "Vivi is super calm and doesn't enjoy interacting with other dogs. I even took him to a specialist but they said he's just a tranquil personality."

A couple of meters away from them, Toben and Vivi laze on top of a small slide, like old friends.

"It's the contrary with Toben, he's got a lot of energy. Always. Even when he's asleep, he moves his paws as if he's running and once even barked." Chanyeol giggles. "I don't know if you had seen him before here but right now, I think Vivi put him under a spell." That comment earns him one of Sehun’s precious giggles.

"Everybody here knows Toben, you know?"

Chanyeol raises his eyebrows. "How so?"

"Like you said, he's a puppy with a lot of energy. It's hard to ignore him." Sehun says.

"Oh." Chanyeol looks at Toben. Well, his boy could definitely be the park's ambassador, he's got the face.

"Wanna hear something funny?" Sehun shifts on the seat to get closer to Chanyeol, and finally he’s starting to get used to it but that doesn’t stop the wild butterflies in his tummy.

"Shoot."

Sehun grins. "When I asked a friend about a dog park to take Vivi, he told me about this place, but said I had to be careful, 'cause certain black poodle would get on Vivi's nerves."

Chanyeol’s jaw drops and immediately his eyes dart to Toben. He’s a good boy!

“Wow. Rude.” He pouts.

“Gummy bear lips,” Sehun whispers, and it’s when Chanyeol notices they’re, really, too close, because he could feel Sehun’s breath nigh his skin.

“Shut up,” Chanyeol grunts, and pouts even more.

Sehun is having the time of his life.

-

Minutes after 5:00 p.m. droplets of water start falling from the sky.

“Shit,” Sehun whines, “we gotta go. We came here by foot and I didn’t bring my wallet.”

“Uh, my house is crossing the street.” Chanyeol gets up quickly. “Come and we’ll call a driver from there,” he says, “or I’ll give you a ride.”

Sehun looks at him, eyes twinkling in anticipation but still hesitating.

“I promise Beethoven and I aren’t kidnappers.” Chanyeol winks.

“Okay.” Sehun scratches his head. “But what if Vivi and I are robbers?”

Chanyeol rolls his eyes as they walk to the pups and take them, each in their arms.

“I’d say you chose terrible victims ‘cause I am broke, therefore, Toben is too.”

Vivi rests its head on Sehun’s shoulder as soon as he takes it in his arms. Chanyeol can’t help but think they look like father and son, and they are… somehow.

“Well.” Sehun puffs. “Maybe it’s your heart I wanna steal,” he says as he adjusts the backpack on his free shoulder.

Chanyeol isn’t sure he heard right but his cheeks blush nonetheless.

“I can pretend I didn’t mean it if you’d like.” Sehun mumbles, sounding a little bit shaky.

It has only been a few minutes since it started raining but the flow duplicates each second and their hair is getting wet. They’re just a few steps away from Chanyeol’s doorstep and there isn’t enough time to think things through but, honestly, should he even think about it?

Toben jumps off Chanyeol’s arms and starts jumping once they reach the door; shortly after, Vivi follows him. 

Sehun clears his throat.

“So… Can I try, at least?” He asks, looking at Chanyeol below his eyelashes.

Chanyeol chuckles and then sighs. “I’m an easy target. You’ll get it.”

And he does.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for making it all the way til the end! Mwahh!


End file.
